Monitoring of private property and data protection laws
The Data Protection Act and the provisions that have been established under it apply, among other things, to the monitoring of the joint property of multi-family homes or the joint land of people.
Individuals may generally install CCTV to monitor their plots and buildings, but they must comply with the above mentioned rules during that monitoring. Among other things, special care must be taken that the scope of the CCTV does not go beyond the territory of the individual concerned, such as in the vicinity of other people’s plot, joint property or a public area. In general, monitoring with secrecy is not permitted by individuals.
Generally, the Data Protection Act does not apply to the treatment of personal data by an individual that concerns his or her private property or family or is intended solely for personal use. CCTV cameras and the material collected through their use are generally covered by this definition. However, it must be noted that if monitoring takes place in public (such as outside the boundary of a private property), then the provisions of the Data Protection Act apply. The person responsible for monitoring must therefore be sure that it is in full compliance with the provisions of the Act, as well as with the rules established under it.
